Membership Fee Increase
The club magazine arrived today. So far I've had a quite flick through 😉. Tucked in there is notice of an increase in membership fees from £49 to £51 on 15 December 2017. If you want to add family members (is that children?) another £8 no increase for 4th year running.
Have just rejoined the friendly club, with paper magazines and site book £44 - less £38 for digital.
That's quite a big difference between the 2 clubs 😲. I suppose the cost of name change and subsequent signs etc has to be recouped through membership fees as well as pitch increases?
We will continue to belong while CL use suits us, there isn't a club site in our county.....
Comments
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as I haven't seen this post just added a comment to the 2018 pitch price thread I'm not renewing my membership in March due to the increases I don't use CLS so time for me to go
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The increase will make no difference to me, but at a smidgen over 4% I can imagine it is but another increase in addition to the many that people are enduring in this economical climate.
A bit greedy of the Club I think for no apparent good reason.
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Squeeze them until the pips squeak.
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That's quite a big difference between the 2 clubs
It is. CC costs about 17% more and has about 70% more sites. Not sure how the CL/CS networks compare
If you want to add family members (is that children?) another £8 no increase for 4th year running.
A family is normally a child over 18 at the same address and means that they can stay in the caravan (with friends perhaps) as a member when the parents are not present and without a non-member addition to pitch prides. Useful for some.
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Similarly, I have just had my M/H insurance renewal from the Club.
No claims in the year or convictions etc, and presumably the van has depreciated a bit as well but the requested premium was a 6.9% increase over last year......
I got a 1% pay rise this year...
Luckily a quote from Saga was 33% cheaper...........
The Club is definitely aiming for a wealthy client base......
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Most sites bearing the label C&CC say you must be a Member to use their sites.
A few weeks ago I rang a C&CC site, told them I wasn't a Member, but was cordially allowed to book a couple of nights with them.
I've no idea whether I paid more than a C&CC Member or not but if we are allowed on sites without being a Member what is the point of joining ?
I used a couple of CL sites for the other nights we were away and those three sites were the only sites we have used in the UK this year.
Many nights abroad - but not in the UK.
I won't be renewing my C&CC Membership whatever the cost.
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But the thread is about this club.....
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How do you quantify value for money is a conundrum - possibly different for each person?
I think increases are 'hidden' to a certain extent if payments are made by DD. The club will say it sends out new cards and advise the cost in advance of taking payment. But the letter won't point out the increase, which may have been missed or forgotten about. It's a bit like paying by cards and not realising cash flow in the same way as when using cash. 😉 there you can see how the balance goes down immediately 😉.
I've also had a quick read of the AGM and there was a healthy rise of 3.6% in revenue last year and an operating surplus of £4.5m before tax and interest and other finance costs (?) Leaving a surplus of £3.5m down 76k on 2015.
So it seems membership fees and pitch prices to rise considerably. It seems well ahead of inflation let alone pay rises, unless you're one of the few. If you're employed by central or local government or the NHS, zero hours contracts minimum wage etc you're out of pocket without this. Perhaps they are looking to make things more exclusive 😉
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Perhaps they are looking to make things more exclusive 😉
As per my previous post, I think that is what is going on....
And perhaps that is a good thing.
Put the prices up significantly and I might be able to get on some of the honeypot sites at a weekend, and not have to queue for a shower (whilst numerous privacy cubicles stand unused)....
I'm all for it......
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As posted before for us it is straightforward decision.
Whilst I cannot remember the last time I used a Club site there is a CL app 300 yards or so from our youngest daughters house, so that's convenient, and we do attend a number of rallies but one big reason is the savings to be made on the ITX package prices.
The saving this year-£300+- will pay for 6 years membership fees however I will be seeking a price from Camping Cheques which even though part of the Club do sell to all including non members to see what how that compares.
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Yes I saw that increase, but membership is still well worth it for me. I like the site booking system, I like easy access to lots of advice and wisdom, and even humour too sometimes, from members through this site, and I like the discount I get on the Chunnell! That alone nearly pays for my subscription so already working out where to go next year and waiting until the booking office opens up in December. Happy days!
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although I will be renewing, I have to say, as mentioned by others on this forum, in some instances you could use a very good B&B for not much more than the price of membership/pitch fee at many holiday type venues, especially out of season or mid week, and especially if you take into account the money saved on fuel if you are not towing. I guess somewhere in the accounts CACC give a break down of costs for such things as electric/gas/petrol etc and it would by my guess that most of these show an increase, especially electricity, and going forward with the advent of electric cars and more and more electric gadgets used in caravan/MH's this cost will continue to rise, as inevitably will pitch fees. I would still be in favour of metering if it meant pitch costs reduced, but then we dont watch telly in the van, and have very few electrical gadgets i guess our main electric gadget would be the microwave and the occasional use of the halogen heater in the awning. Have seen families sat in awning in front of 50 inch tv with 2 halogen heaters blasting away, all the lights on in the van etc, bet they would think twice about doing this if electricity was metered.
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Oh, no, not awning heaters and metered lekky again!
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I don't think he has
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ET, do you have evidence that they have?, maybe usage has gone down, and maybe if we have a great summer next year and people dont use their halagon heaters so much it may go down again, but i will bet my bottom dollar that pitch fees will still increase, as cyberyacht says
"Squeeze them until the pips squeak"
but as people have said if we dont like it then leave, or we can try and put forward, in my opinion, sensible suggestions that may help to keep increases to a minimum, or we face the prospect of caravanning/mhing becoming an ellitist pasttime/ hoby/source of enjoyment, whatever you want to call it, which has also been alluded too, and applauded by some, for which money is probably not a problem.
But just to add a footnote, I think many who post on this forum are serious campers both home & abroad, and what we seem to forget that out there are many members who only use club sites 2 or 3 times a year and treat is as a holiday, IMO the majority of these people probably dont mind paying £30 - 40 per night maximising the using of a 6 berth van with all mod cons, (and would probably not object to electric being metered) been there got the tee-shirt, when taking the Gkids. For those that have doubts take a trip to Fresh Water bay site in Dorset for e.g., not CAMC site, but see the numbers that rock up in July and what they rock up in, and check the prices they pay, ok a lot going on by way of entertainment that you dont get at club sites, but for them it is a holiday not a way of life, similar people use club sites, and i am sure CAMHC business managers recognise this. Wake up smell the coffee guys, times are a changing, CAMHC is a thriving/serious business
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